Forcing council to drop committees 'insult to city'

BRISTOL City Council will be forced to change how it is governed again as part of an upcoming government shake-up.

- ALEX SEABROOK Local Democracy Reporter

Three years ago Bristol voted to introduce the committee model in a city-wide referendum and scrap the directly elected mayor, but now faces yet another change.

The government has revealed plans to force councils run by policy committees, such as Bristol, to adopt the leader and cabinet model.

This has sparked outrage among Greens and Liberal Democrats in Bristol, but was welcomed by Labour who said the eight policy committees are “shambolic”.

A government minister said the change would prevent councils from “wasting taxpayer funds on needless changes to systems of governance”.

However, the change means Bristol will be switching its system of governance again for the third time in recent years.

Jim McMahon, minister for local government and devolution, said in a written statement: “At present there is a complex and opaque system which allows councils to operate one of three governance models: cabinet arrangements with a directly elected council mayor, leader and cabinet, or the committee system.